Congratulations to CRW’s own, Evan DeVitto! Evan was one of the 24 officials from around the country selected to officiate games during the National Flag Football Championship. This championship is hosted by NIRSA, the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association, a series that “gives college recreational sports participants an opportunity to compete, coordinate, officiate, and connect with skilled peers from other schools and take all the benefits of recreational competition to a higher level.”
Evan started officiating at ECU during his freshman year during the Fall of 2018. He worked endlessly to put himself into a positions to attend the championship tournaments, but, like everything, COVID cancelled his trips for the past two years. However, Evan kept up with his work, earning a spot at the Region 2 Flag Football Regional at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
After a stellar performance at regionals, Evan was invited to officiate at the Flag Football Championship in Round Rock, Texas. “The teams are playing at such a high level, and it is because there is so much on the line. Everyone loves the game, and it makes the atmosphere on Sunday electric.”
The goal of attending is for every officiant to become an All-American official, an award given to the Top 10 officials. Evan says that “the level of officiating at these tournaments is unmatched. There is so much to learn from everyone there.” Evan placed 12th out of the 24 officials, 2 places short of the All-American certification. However, he is still very proud of his performance with this being his first trip to a national tournament.
“Overall, this experience was one that I will never forget. I met some amazing people and learned a lot from them in the process. If I learned one thing from this trip, it is that you can always improve. Even if you think that you are the best at something, there are always things you can learn to help elevate your performance.” - Evan DeVitto